BRANCHING OUT

Nature Notes

By Pam Findley

March

• Bluebirds begin nesting.

• Groundhogs emerge and mate.

• Maple trees have red blossoms.

• Mountain Laurel and Rhododendron are evergreen.

• March 20 – Vernal Equinox – First day of Spring

April

• American Toads lay eggs in ponds and streams.

• Bloodroot, Trillium and Virginia Bluebells bloom.

• Dogwood and Red Bud trees bloom.

• Spring Azure and Tiger Swallowtail butterflies are in flight.

• Lyrids meteor shower peak – April 22-23

May

• Barred Owl babies are active.

• Mayapple, Wood Poppy and Jack-inthe-Pulpit bloom.

• Tulip Poplars have large, light green blossoms.

• White-tailed Deer are born.

• Eta Aquariid meteor shower peak – May 6-7

Get Involved in Citizen Science

By Abby Stocking

What is citizen science and why is it important?

The term refers to the public’s involvement in scientific research and may also be called community or civic science. Citizen science provides a way for research to be conducted on a more organic level. While it is not intended to replace or surpass traditional research methods, it allows researchers to expand data collection by leveraging community input. From university researchers to scientists at NASA, citizen science projects have become an additional avenue for agencies to collect data on a wide variety of scientific inquiries.

Reston Association has a long history of inventorying wildlife in our natural areas. By

When volunteers observe for themselves what is occurring in our natural areas, they become advocates for the conservation of these spaces. Citizen science projects provide benefits on local and global levels. Here are some of the ways in which we are fostering this involvement.

Project FeederWatch

Operated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Birds Canada, Project FeederWatch is a survey of birds that visit backyards, nature centers and other community areas. There are over 20,000 project participants in the U.S. and Canada. The Nature Center tallies birds around the feeders on Wednesdays and Thursdays from November to early April. Since 2010, we have observed

Walker Nature Center

11450 Glade Drive, Reston, VA 20191

Dawn to dusk, enjoy year-round access to trails, restrooms and free parking.

Contact

703-476-9689 naturecenter@reston.org

Caterpillars Count!

Started by researchers at the University of North Carolina, this citizen science project aims to measure seasonal variation and abundance of arthropods found in tree foliage. While its name suggests caterpillars as the focus, volunteers are instructed to count all arthropod groups, including beetles, spiders, ants and more. The arthropods are important food sources for other animals and declines in this group of organisms will have an impact elsewhere in the ecosystem. Volunteers conduct surveys from late May through late August. If you have ever seen trees with laminated tags hanging from bright flagging tape around the Nature Center, then it is likely you have noticed the branches we use. Since 2018, volunteers have conducted over 1,315 surveys and counted over 2,600 arthropods.

Features

72 acres of forested land, a picnic pavilion, demonstration gardens, educational signage, a fire ring, two streams, a pond, a Little Free Library, the entrance to 44-acre Lake Audubon and our education building, known as Nature House.

Nature House Hours

Mon. & Wed.-Fri. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Closed Tuesdays

Saturday 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Sunday 1– 4 p.m.

HOLIDAY CLOSURES:

May 29 Memorial Day

Stream Monitoring

The Izaak Walton League of America began monitoring waterways in 1969 when oil spills and river fires were common headlines. This organization developed the Save Our Streams (SOS) monitoring program that trains volunteers to collect water quality data. Reston Association staff and volunteers conduct sampling at eleven stream monitoring sites around Reston, including one in the Snakeden Branch by the Nature Center. In the fall and spring, volunteers use nets to collect benthic marcroinvertebrates from the bottom of the stream. These creatures, which include juvenile mayflies and dragonflies, can be used as indicators of the overall health of the stream. In 2022, volunteers sorted over 5,500 macroinvertebrates. Monitoring results are shared with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

iNaturalist

While the other activities listed so far follow a more regimented schedule, valuable nature observations can be made throughout the year and on your own time. The iNaturalist app helps users identify and record plants, animals and more. Other users help verify the findings you submit. Not only is it a great way to improve your identification skills, but your findings can also become research quality data for scientists around the world. There are two biodiversity projects that track Reston findings: the Reston Biodiversity project and the Walker Nature Center Biodiversity Inventory project. By joining these projects within the app, you help Reston Association keep records on what organisms are found in our community.

Get Involved

www.facebook.com/walkernaturecenter

@restonnature

@walkernaturecenter

Groups: Please call ahead to arrange your visit. Branching Out is a quarterly publication of the Walker Nature Center (WNC), owned and operated by Reston Association.

The mission of the WNC is to foster an environmental stewardship ethic in the community. It is named after Reston’s first Open Space and Nature Center Director, Vernon J. Walker.

There is no shortage of ways that you can get involved in citizen science projects in Reston. Diving into one of the projects provides a wonderful learning opportunity for everyone from beginners to more experienced nature observers. The more we know about the diversity of nature around us, the better we can preserve and protect what we have. From monitoring birds at feeders to identifying caterpillars on a branch, we can do our part to care for the natural world. In the words of famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, “Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.” We could not agree more.

Interested in volunteering in one or more of these projects? Email naturecenter@reston.org or call 703-476-9689 ext. 3. For other volunteer opportunities with Reston Association, contact Ha Brock, Volunteer Supervisor, at habrock@reston.org.

Resources

Project FeederWatch: https://feederwatch.org/ Caterpillars Count: https://caterpillarscount.unc.edu/ Izaak Walton League: https://www.iwla.org/water/stream-monitoring iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/